Devils Canyon Barrel of Monkeys Barleywine

Brewed by Devils Canyon Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Belmont, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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On tap at Toronado for Barleywine Fest 2010. As the top Devil’s Canyon rater on this site (really impressive I know), I felt like I had to give this one a shot. I instantly regretted it, not because it was terrible, but because it was mediocre and there were a lot better options available. Pours clear dark brown with minimal head. Aroma is caramel malt, whiskey, and booze. Wow, lots of booze here. Flavor is also pretty hot and boozy. I love Heaven Hill rye, but it didn’t do much here, although it was detectable. You can’t save an unimpressive beer by -bal aging it in the barrels of a good rye I guess. Some caramel malt and roast as well. Medium-full body with the ABV not very well-hidden. This is 16% but seems like it’s above 20%.

Poured up at the 2010 Toronado Barleywine Festival with brownish amber body with weak tan head. The mild aroma has bourbon and aged caramel covered oak as well as a mild alcohol medicinal smell. The taste is definitely bourbon barrel aged with robust bourbon notes moving into a mixture of mild oakiness, molasses, prunes, ripe cherries and sugar stewed raisins. The sweet dark fruitiness is kind of subdued with the bourbon booze far more forward followed by mild smooth oak notes. Nice barrel forward beer that still allows rich tasty dark fruity esters to seep out.

From tap at Toronado, Barley Wine Fest 2010. Pours cloudy dark orangeto deep hazzlenut brown with a fully gone head. Aroma is dark malty, slight phenolic and dry. Dry malty and distinct phenolic belgian yeasty flavoured. Dry and slight spiced into the finish. Slight spiced and dry.

On tap at Celebrator’s 20th Anniv. party. Supposedly this batch is almost 18%! Aged for two years in oak barrels. Some sour, funky, pinot and chardonnay notes...strange fruit, slight rye and sour mash, alcohol, vanilla, wood. Rich and tasty overall...I went back for seconds!

Dark fruit and alcohol nose with a bit of indistinct spice. Vanilla, oak and alcoholic on the palate. Hot and cloying finish.

Tap at the Bistro’s 1st Annual Barrel Aged Festival 11-11-2006. Cherry aroma with a tart fruit flavor. Smooth, vanilla and warming. Hides the 16% abv extremely well.

Draft at the Bistro’s Barrel-Aged Beer Fest 11/11/06; Nose of caramel, oak, and some dark fruit, mixed with alcohol; Deep copper with a tiny beige head; flavor of raisins, caramel, and alcohol! A big barleywine!